Hot doesn’t just describe Texas Sen. Ted Cruz’s current popularity. The word also captures the tempers of both liberal and conservative pundits and their comments on the freshman senator.

Conservative radio host Mark Levin went after MSNBC’s Joe Scarborough this week after Scarborough the “Morning Joe” host criticized Cruz as “utterly ignorant.” Scarborough, a former Republican congressman, based his assertion on Cruz’s fiery exchange with California Sen. Dianne Feinstein during last week’s Senate Judiciary hearing on assault weapons.

Conservative radio host and author Mark Levin

Levin, a true-red conservative, saw Scarborough’s critique as part of a broader media conspiracy to demonize Cruz.

“You know, ladies and gentlemen, there’s a concerted effort to attack our dear friend Ted Cruz, the great senator from Texas, by all manner of miscreant, malcontent lightweights. But there’s one in particular, on MSLSD,” Levin said, referring to the liberal-leaning television network, MSNBC.

Scarborough, a self-described conservative Republican from Florida, criticized Cruz’s comments that Feinstein’s proposal to ban assault weapons goes against the Second Amendment. Scarborough questioned Cruz’s knowledge of the law and said his position was “utterly ignorant.”

“I’m shocked that he would continue to use his seat in the judiciary committee to just mislead millions of Americans and put forward a willingly ignorant position on what the Constitution says and what it does not say,” Scarborough said.

Levin was infuriated at Scarborough’s words and defended Cruz, while mocking Scarborough and his fellow MSNBC hosts.

“Here’s what gets me folks,” Levin said. “One of the smartest individuals in the United States Senate is Ted Cruz. By his own experience and accomplishments, by his education, he came from behind, he won in Texas and the Republican primary when people were counting him out. He beat the establishment and the big money. He beat it all and he won, and he’s coming to the United States Senate in spectacular fashion. He’s a star.”